Really, Mom, You are Doing OK!

1:01 PM

This post was written in partnership with Johnson's Baby products and The Motherhood. Opinions are my own.Have you ever felt like a bad mom? Even when I don't, I feel a little bit like I may not know what I'm doing. With six kids in the home, I get a little insecure about my parenting abilities, even when I know that I'm probably handling things fine.

A recent example was when our son Manasseh was born last October. He was a tiny 5 pounds 11 ounces. When I brought him home from the hospital he wasn't on the growth chart! 3 days later, I took him for his doctor visit, and he was not even an ounce bigger. The doctors and nurses weren't very concerned, but everything I was reading online and all the talk of "growth charts" had me feeling like I wasn't doing anything right! Even though all of my children are usually still only in the 5th percentile at age 7, I was concerned. Even though I am only 5'2" and my husband is 5'8", I somehow expected my child to grow more. How silly was this?

Now, Manasseh (or "Manny" as we call him) is a strapping 16 pounds at 7 months. He is still smaller than most kids, but he is in the 6th percentile on the growth chart -- which is enormous for our family! He eats well, has dimples, and I have to clean in between his "multiple" chins when we bathe him. He's deliciously plump and happy! It turns out, I was doing OK all along....

Manny before... and after.

JOHNSON’S® Baby CARES, the JOHNSON’S® Baby brand’s charitable platform, wants so much for all babies to start out healthy and happy, and they show this with donations of product, financial support, and educational programs. You can help support them -- and the babies they love -- by watching this video below. Just by viewing it, they will donate $1 to Save the Children®, up to $50,000.

If you aren't familiar with Save the Children®, it is an organization that gives children around the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm.

And, if you know of a mom who feels a little down, and needs to know that she's doing OK, too, share the message. We are all in this together, aren't we?

You can get in on the conversation via a special Twitter party to honor moms everwhere! Prizes will be given, including an assortment of JOHNSON’S® Baby products worth $50 in value! Just see the official link to RSVP and get more info! Hashtag: #YoureDoingOKMom